FSConnect 
by Russel Dirks
russdirks@yahoo.ca

www.dirks-software.ca 

Version 3.00

FSConnect is a module that gets loaded by Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) and interacts with third-party programs (clients), providing data regarding the user aircraft. Version 3.00 adds support for XML expressions, as well as the ability to generate key events by which you can control the user aircraft and certain aspects of the simulator.  See the Version History section below for more info.

FSConnect adds no functionality to MSFS, nor does it add anything to the user interface. The only reason to have this program on your system is if it is required by third-party programs that you use.

Installation
Simply copy FSConnect.dll into your FS200x\MODULES folder.

That's all there is to it for general users. The remainder of this documentation will be of use mainly to developers.

For Developers
FSConnect comes with a Software Development Kit (SDK), comprised of this documentation, sample programs, and source code that you can add to your application to facilitate data exchange with FS. Currently the source code is available in Visual Basic, C++ and Delphi. The VB and C++ code was written by myself, whereas the Delphi code was contributed by Rudolf Schider. If your application is in another language, you will have to port the code over to that language. 

Function Summary
The SDK provides the following functions. Note that the source code contains detailed comments for each function.  Also, the SDK contains sample programs that show how to call each of the following functions.

fscGetLatitude,  fscGetLongitude - these are simple high-level functions you can call to retrieve the latitude/longitude of the user aircraft.

fscGetVar - this is a general purpose data query function.  It exposes the function lookup_var, which is part of the Panels & Gauges SDK (P&G).  You pass in a token to indicate which data item you want back.  See the file TokenVar.doc in the reference folder for a complete list of tokens.  Note that each token is marked with a letter : either N, D, O, B, F, E, or P.  The letter indicates the data type of the returned data.  Note that for items marked with a "P", you call the next function, fscGetString, not this function.

fscGetString - this is similar to the previous function.  Only use it to retrieve items marked with "P" in TokenVar.doc

fscGetVersions - this retrieves the version of FSConnect currently loaded, the version of MSFS, and the name of the MSFS exe file, eg "FS2004.exe"

fscTriggerKeyEvent - this is a new function for version 3.00.  It exposes the function trigger_key_event , which is part of the P&G SDK.  It allows you to control pretty much any aspect of the user aircraft.  For instance, you can manipulate the flight controls, or any of the instruments on the panel.  You can also manipulate certain aspects of the simulator.  See the file EventIDs.doc, located in the reference folder, for a complete list of event IDs you can use.

fscGetXMLVar - this is another new function for version 3.00.  It exposes the function execute_calculator_code , which is part of the P&G SDK.  It takes as an input parameter any valid XML expression, and returns the result.  This basically allows you to retrieve various data items regarding the user aircraft and the simulator itself.  There is about 95% overlap between what you can get with this function and what you can get with fscGetVar.  There are however a few unique things you can get with this function, such as the name of the user aircraft.  See the file Parameters.doc located in the reference folder for a complete list of XML variables that you can query.

fscSetLatitude,  fscSetLongitude - these only work in FS2002 and earlier.

fscMemRead,  fscMemWrite - these functions allow you to read or write from/to any location within the MSFS address space.

fscSearchMemRange,  fscSearchMemAll - these two functions allow you to search for specific data within the MSFS address space.